7 good reasons to #BeALION

7 good reasons to #BeALION

On the week leading up to the start of our rookie camps we’re outlining a few good reasons why we think you should give us a try – have a perusal and if some of these propositions float your boat then maybe you might #BeALion in waiting:

we’re not JUST a University side. Got friends in Birmingham who aren’t UoB? Then why not bring them along to our rookie sessions as well? This is our unique provision, allowing us to blend our offering across student, alumni and non-student communities for a great team mix.

we’ve access to some of the best coaches in football helping to provide you with the opportunity to be the best that you can be – Great Britain coaches (former and indeed current Great Britain players themselves) litter the women’s programme; we also have access to guest coaches of the highest calibre as well as assistant coaches from the men’s overarching Lions programme.

we’re an award-winning, progressive team, recognised as such by UBSport, Birmingham University Alumni, independent adjudication and by our own governing body: 2014 – winners, UBSport Development Club of the Year, as part of the overarching Lions programme; 2014 – winners, Hands Up funding in recognition of the team’s inclusivity and community impact; 2015 – winners, Birmingham Mail & Post Sports Awards Team of the Year; 2015 – sanctioned by the British American Football Assoc. to play in Europe (the first British women’s tackle team to ever do so).

we are a champion team and part of an overarching University programme that has a history of success: the women’s team are back to back (2014, 2015) National champions; the men’s team are 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2013 National champions; the Lions’ Junior and Youth sides are both fast-developing title winning sides; the men’s Adult Flag team in their debut season are also this year’s Series National Champions.

we’ve set the pace for women’s football in the UK: we’re the first British women’s tackle team to play 9-aside football and to play in Europe (and win), we’re also the first British women’s tackle team to enter two teams into domestic competition – these are just a couple of our performance-related achievements to date (of which we’re very proud), but we have even grander plans for 2015/16…get involved to find out more.

Birmingham is home to more Great Britain players than any other club – the Lions contributed 16 players to the national programme’s 45-woman squad at this summer’s European Championships, in Granada, Spain (this included 3 rookies who had only been playing football since October 2014); an additional Lion was selected to the Great Britain practice squad for GB’s qualifying game against Russia – if you want to train alongside some of the best in the country and indeed some of the best players in Europe #BeALion and then maybe ‪#‎BeAGBLion!

we’re a team who operate by a strongly defined set of team-first principles, as such, inclusivity, unity, respect and reputation are important to us – we evidence such values by simple means: by being friendly, welcoming, approachable and sociable, by providing opportunities for all – to participate, train and compete and by providing clear, regular and transparent information to our membership on all matters pertaining to Lions and indeed Women’s American Football in general.

For more information on our team’s current activity visit facebook.com/BhamLionsWm or pop along to one of our rookie sessions, starting 26/09/15.